Søreide: NOK 500M to World Food

Wednesday, March 11, Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen (H) received World Food Program (WFP) Exec. Director David Beasley in Oslo, discussing Norway’s partnership with WFP in responding to starvation within crisis countries.

In 2016, Norway entered partnership with World Food Program (WFP), offering core funding of NOK 237M yearly until 2019. The 2016 Norway/WFP funding agreement was structured to ensure a predictable & flexible scheme to provide crisis-food for suffering countries.

2018 has Norway re-committing to that agreement, with Minister Søreide pledging Norway’s intent to further fund the scheme & bring 2018’s total contribution to the World Food Program to NOK 500M (offering additional emergency funds of NOK 216M to Norway’s existing WFP yearly pledge of NOK 237M).

A ministry press release gave Minister Søreide’s position of Norway’s commitment to the World Food Program: ‘The World Food Program is an important partner in the humanitarian fight against hunger and malnutrition.’ The ministry press release also noted that minister Søreide’s meeting with WFP’s Director Beasley will also focus upon gender-based violence and abuse within crisis countries.

Norway’s humanitarian efforts will help fund WFP’s crisis support within the suffering countries of Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Afghanistan, DR Congo and the Central African Republic.

In a 2016 press release heralding the inauguration of Norway’s new partnership with WPE, then Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende (H, 2013 – 2017) gave strong comment: ‘The aim of Norway’s strategic partnership with WFP is to help ensure that as many people as possible have secure access to food. Food assistance can also play a part in enabling children in war-crisis situations to go to school, and some of the funding from Norway will be used to provide school meals.’

‘WFP often works under very difficult conditions to reach vulnerable population groups. It’s spearheading use of innovative solutions, such as coupons and cash payments in areas where local markets are still functioning instead of rations. It’s able to continue working in crises that extend over a long period, and is thus a key, strategic partner for Norway.’ – concluded Brende.

The current Norway/WFP agreement spans 2016-2019 and is a continuation of a previous four-year agreement. Norway’s WFP support totaled NOK 600 million in 2015.

The World Food Program is the world’s largest humanitarian organization; fighting worldwide hunger and assisting more than 80 million people within 80 countries.

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